Page 29 of All Your Firsts

“But not you?”

“Absolutely not. He’s practically a brother to me.”

“So then Axl...?” I say, wiggling my eyebrows.

He came in this morning and bugged her until she made him food. Then, he paid her in compliments and money three times the amount needed to pay for the food. I watched their entire exchange with a smile on my face. He loves to provoke her, and she always rises to the challenge, creating a dynamic of playful banter. He even brought her a gift. She opened it in her office and refused to show any of us girls, which only intrigued me more.

After he left, her cheeks flushed with a bright shade of red, and she persistently rubbed her palms along her apron as if they were sweaty.

There’s a story there, and I can’t wait to hear it. I guess he did hear my suggestions when we were in the pool.

Jess scrunches her nose as if smelling something awful. “He’s a total manwhore and a jerk.”

“But you were something?”

“Unfortunately,” she says with a sigh, “we’ve had moments in the past that I wish I could erase forever. Just thinking about them makes me want to bleach my brain.”

“He’s still kind of cute,” I say with a shrug. I’m privately rooting for Axl, the underdog, with his endless questions on how to fix things with Jess.

I’m a sucker for a happy ending.

“I can’t wear this,” I mutter as I stare at myself in the mirror inside the fitting room of the boutique a couple of doors down from the tattoo shop.

Char, a friend of Jess’s, came into Sweet Escape yesterday, and we got to talking. She runs Burnouts, the local bar in town. When Char mentioned I could work a few weekend shifts, I immediately said yes. I want to escape Vic and his domineering presence while making a little cash on the side.

So here I am, uncomfortable as hell in practically nothing, but Jess says I need seduction attire to fit in. Initially, I was confused about the meaning, but I’m beginning to understand.

Despite feeling completely out of my element and a little anxious, I remind myself that it’s exactly what I need and have always wanted. Half of me is worried someone might recognize me, but my father or anyone else looking for me would never guess I’d be working in a bar.

A library or a painting studio? Definitely. A bar? Never.

“What? Why? Back up a little. You should add a choker necklace,” she says as she squints through the other side of the phone. We’re on FaceTime since she couldn’t leave her shop.

“I’ve never shown this much skin,” I say as I stare at the outfit with trepidation. The black leather skirt is a little short, stopping right under my ass with a slit going up the right side of my hip. My bra and cleavage are on full display thanks to my barely-there mesh crop top.

“You look amazing.”

“It’s not too much? Or I guess, too little?”

“It’s modest compared to the other girls, which is better. It leaves things to the imagination.” She wiggles her eyebrows, making me laugh.

“Is it silly that I’m nervous?”

“Not at all. You’re in a new place doing something out of your comfort zone. But you’ll be fine. I promise. Just make sure you wear this outfit. I’ll come see you after I close.”

“I’d like that. It would be nice to see a familiar face.”

“Oh, I’m sure you’ll see a couple,” Jess says with a huge grin.

The curtain gets ripped open, and I spin around with a shriek.

Vic stands in the doorway with a murderous look in his eyes.

“Oh my God. You scared the crap out of me,” I say placing my hands over my chest. “Get out of here.”

Vic looks down at me before stepping in and closing the curtain of this tiny fitting room.

“Jesus, get out. They’re going to think we’re... we’re—”

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